Out of Sequence
by Ray Kypp
Summary: Warning Colby isn't dead really...Complaints acknowledged: It jumps around too much. Guess what, it's supposed to jump around. Disclaimer: No one but the producers own these delights.


Disclaimer: Not my characters, but I wish they were. Only Chief Louis is mine. Caution states Millie and Alan are married. Nothing is supposed to make sense in this. The end says why. Enjoy, it's my _first_ complete one-shot. (-25-)

Out of Sequence

By Jarik

"There are no reasons...?" Millie put her hand on Don's shoulder.

"Colby's death needed a reasons.'

"Some people just die. You can't help it." Millie went back to straightening her hair.

"I should have made him stay here.' Don said as he shuffled through his stats and paperwork.

"He was an agent Don. He knew the risks."

"Yeah, we all do." Don sighed in reply.

"You've seen a lot of death. Why is Colby so different?"

"He's one of mine."

"And those others who've died are not one of theirs too."  
"What you saying?"

"What I'm saying is…treat Colby's death the way."  
"That's absurd!" Don was confused and it showed.

"Then why treat the others that way?" Millie asked as she pulled the left over hair out of her brush.

Don stood up and threw the papers in his briefcase.

"Where are you going" Millie asked as she turned around.

"I'm going to see my psych. I had an unwanted appointment today." Don sighed waved goodbye and reached for the handle.

"Have you talked to Charlie?"

"Not since he found out the news."

"Colby's death is hitting Charlie very hard. He won't eat anything."  
"So, I should go see if he is working on Riemann Hypothesis? I thought some guy all ready solved it."

"Nash Jr. did, but some mathematician like to figure and refigure. It makes their lives worth while."

"Yeah, like going to the shooting range."

Don left without getting a reply from Millie. Don felt his hand in pocket to shuffle around for his cell.

"Eppes." Is normal signature for all his calls, It really sounded professional.

"Well, tell him no, Megan. Oh, yeah all right. Bye." Don clicked his car keys. The horn beeped twice then as the engine turned on the car exploded. Don backed away from the blaze.

"Don!" Millie yelled as she ran out of the house.

"I'm okay, Millie."

"Who are you calling?" Millie asked.

"9-1-1,' Don replied without moving,' Yes, my car exploded. I'm Don Eppes, F.B.I. Yes, soon Thankyou."

"What do you think happened.? "

"Car bomb, someone that wanted to warn me. They allowed the car bomb to be ignitged when I started the car by the chain.

"You have.."

"No, I can't come up with theories right now." Don was fustrated there always had to be immediate theories with Millie, Charlie and Larry.

"now who are you calling?"

"Dad, He can tell Charlie…"

"Telll Charlie, what? " They turned around to see Charlie standing behind them.

"About the bomb. Where'd you come from?"

"Don was surprised to see Charlie standing behind them.

"Hey, Charlie." Millie gave him a hug.

"What happened?"

"I've had a car bomb attack."

"Here's the ambulance." Charlie ignored Millie completely He would have to.

"Good there finally here." Don moaned and headed toward the fire truck.

"Don Eppes." Don reached out his to the fire chief.

"Yeah, I'm Chief Louis. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I just turned on my car with my keys and seconds later the car exploded into a blaze." Don replied.

"Have you noticed any strange…."

"Activity?" Charlie interrupted Louis. I saw people hanging around here three nights in a row. I ddin't think much of it."

Do you have details of these men?"

"Again when I saw them it was dark out." Charlie realized ho stupid it sounded.   
"Anything helps" Millie assured Charlie.

"Millie, will you call, dad?" Don asked tossing the phone to her.

"Yeah, what do you want me to tell him? "

"Tell him what happened."

"All of it?" Millie asked though she knew Alan would handle it well.

"All of it. No, reason not to." Don replied.

"Yeah, okay." Millie replied.

"Hello." Alan answered.

"Alan its. Me"

"Me? Me who?" Alan loved playing this game with Millie.

"Now is not the time. Look Don's car exploded. He's all right…." Millie's voice trailed off into the distance when Don turned away.

"Charlie are you okay?" Don noticed the blank stare in Charlie's eyes.

"Yeah, don, I'm fine."  
"You're fine. You look spaced out." Don chided.

"Ouch, dang it." The chief pulled his finger quickly away from the charred car.

"Still hot?" Don asked with surprise that the chief would actually touch it with bare hands.

"Yeah, it's hot. It is amazing how hot the cars do get." The chief replied.

Don turned back toward Charlie. "I need to get back to work. Megan is going to picking me up. Is Dad all right?"

"Alan he's fine. He's going to be home soon." Millie caught a glimpse of Don's rolling eyeballs despite the fact he had been wearing his sunglasses the entire time.

"He doesn't have to. He's working on a project." Charlie piped up.

Millie knew she couldn't push this.  
"Whatever. Charlie are you going to come by the office? Charlie?"

"you think Colby's murder and this are related?"

"Colby wasn't murdered."

"He was too!" Charlie yelled back and ran toward the house.

"Math doesn't lie." Millie told don and headed on in after Charlie.

Millie knew better, but this was her employee not her son. May be not her real son, her and Alan had only been married two months. It was still odd to be living permanently in the Eppes home as an Eppes herself.

"Charlie, what evidence do you have that the police and Don don't?" Millie asked as she pounded on the door. "Charlie! Answer…"

"It's okay Millie. He won't be coming out for a while."

"He needs to go to work. He'll be out."

"Millie, we've never forced Charlie out of there. It's when P.vs. NP goes up we have to worry."  
"He's got a lecture at 4:00." Millie sighed and walked away from the garage door.

"What lecture?" Don asked as he glanced out the window. He saw that Megan was arriving as the police left.

"Um, free Space. I think. May be that's Monday."

"Free Space H is on Tuesdays!" Charlie yelled through the door.  
"I have the week off for Colby anyway."  
"Charlie, that murder wasn't…"

"forget about it. I'll figure it out."  
"They are different incidents. Let it go."  
"I'm not letting Colby's death go unsolved." Charlie finally opened the door and glared at Don.

"No, Charlie, Colby was killed in the line of fire."

"No, Colby was murdered outside the office annex. "

"Are we talking about the same Colby Granger?"

"No, this…what is going on?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Where's Dad? I thought he would be here by now." Charlie scanned the lawn.

"I'll call him. Where did Megan go? She was just here."

"She and Millie went upstairs." Charlie replied.

"Okay, I'll be going up too. " Don sighed and headed up the stairs.

Millie and Megan were both sitting on the bed watching the news.

"Charlie, look at this." Megan pointed the new broadcast.

"Demon baby attempts to strangle it's murder." The reporter said as images appeared on the screen.

"Charlie, you think that's…"Millie asked.

"No, its got to be an hoax. I know that persons. She's not a murder. " Charlie sat down on the bed near Megan.

"Apparently, who is she?" Megan stared blankly at Charlie and the tv.

"She's Maggie Sy Lucas. A girl I knew growing up. I can't believe she'd make up something like that." Charlie's voice trailed off.

"Hey, it's time to geet ready for Colby's funeral." Don interrupted.

"That's not till tomorrow." Charlie kept his gaze on the tv.

"No, Charlie it's today."  
"It's tomorrow."

"don't do this to me now. Charlie, it's today."

Millie and Megan stared at each other in wonderment.

"It is tomorrow, Don. Where's Alan?" Millie interrupted the argument.

"He's on his way home." Don replied as he sat on the bed.

" I don't get this case. How come we haven't heard about it yet?"  
"I don't know." Charlie answered.

"Why would we?" Millie asked half surprised Don would suggest such a thing.

"Doesn't anyone care about Colby?" Don asked quickly in order to have the subject changed.

"It's tomorrow. We'll care about it then." Charlie replied with out a care.

"Don, we all care, but there's a new day tomorrow. It'll be better. I promise." Millie's advice wasn't much nor was it great.

"Oh, great. Well, Dad is going to home…"

"I'm here." Alan appeared mysteriously out of now where.

"You…what took so long?" Don was indeed surprised to see Alan standing in the door way..

"I texted you? Don't you ever check your text messages?"

"Sorry, dad." Don picked up his cell.

"Yeah, can you drive me back to work?"

"Sure, but isn't Colby's funeral today?" Alan asked.

"It's in an hour. We'll be ready. Hey, have you heard the news?" Charlie asked.

"No, what's going on?" Alan played right along.

"Guys, what is going on? A minute ago you said, it was tomorrow/"

"Did we?" Megan asked and glanced at her watch.

"Look whatever." Don replied as he headed toward the door.

"Where's he going?" Charlie asked Alan.

"To get ready. I hope." Alan replied with a sigh.

"Well, I'm going to go get ready."  
Charlie stood up just as news of Colby's funeral came on the tv.

"Why do they have to show this?" Megan asked.

"They do it for every case that is major. Colby's isn't any different from the others.

Alan replied and stood up to stretch.

"I'm going to go get ready. I'm still trying to convince Don that this whole thing with his car is related to Colby's death, but I'm having a difficult time with it."

"He's not supposed to know that Colby isn't really dead right?" Alan asked.

"You're not supposed to know that either. Being drunk makes me talk, huh?" Charlie asked looking at straight in Alan's eyes.

"Yeah, it does make you talk." Megan laughed and stood up to head for the door.

"I wish we could tell Don though. I mean it's pure torture on the guy." Millie chimed in.

"Yeah, it is, but these were Fed orders. We can't tell Don. He doesn't know Colby's left for Washington. Just because we know."

"All right, Dad! He might hear you." Charlie stopped Alan short from another tangent.

"It's time for the funeral. You guys ready? None, of you are dressed yet!" Don yelled.

"We're getting ready to get ready. It'll take us a minute." Alan mimicked Don.

"Fine, I'll be down stairs on the couch." Don sighed walked away and headed down stairs. Suddenly out of nowhere his alarm went off.

"It's 3:00 a.m. What? I did it again what do you know." Don shut of the phone and went back to sleep.

-The End-


End file.
